No space left for new holder's name

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Every winner of the Shield has their name and year engraved on silver plaques that ring the outside of the trophy.

But there is no room left. Taranaki, who won the Shield off Southland in Invercargill last year and held it until Waikato snatched it with a 46-10 thumping in New Plymouth on Wednesday night, took the final spot available.

The New Zealand Rugby Union has said it was up to the next winners to decide where they placed the next plaque - whether on the back of the trophy or on some kind of extension.

Waikato Rugby Union chief executive officer Graham Bowen said yesterday he and his union had not been aware of the situation until they got their hands on the Shield on Wednesday night.

Bowen said he would be reluctant to put a plaque on the back of the Shield but they would not get much time to make up their minds and get the engraving done unless the Waikato team successfully defended it against Hawke's Bay Magpies in the remaining defence of the season in Hamilton on October 13.

"I haven't given it a great deal of thought yet, to be honest, but there are probably only a couple of options and no-one wants to put them on the back, really," Bowen said.

He said one move could be to get some sort of base or stand carved that could carry the extra plaques and that the Shield could sit on or in, instead of using the basic hinged stand it currently has.

"But if we could keep it for the summer that would make things a lot easier because we could take our time getting something done.

"If we lose it . . . then we'd have to get it done a lot quicker. I'm hoping we're good enough to keep it ," he said. Fairfax NZ